The New York Knicks are in the midst of a historic playoff win streak, and both their players and fans seem convinced a supernatural curse has made them unbeatable.
After Monday night’s blowout victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks moved to a shocking 11-0 since WWE superstar Danhausen ‘uncursed’ the franchise in a video posted online.
Danhausen, who has skyrocketed in popularity after debuting with World Wrestling Entertainment in February, is known for his comedic gimmick of ‘cursing’ opponents, which then leads to accidents and mishaps in the ring.
However, his uncursing of the Knicks has taken on a life of its own, with countless fans crediting the vampire-costumed wrestler for the team’s success.
‘You can all thank Danhausen for the Knicks making it this far,’ one fan said.
‘Danhausen should get courtside seats for life with Spike Lee and TimothĂ©e Chalamet if the Knicks win the chip,’ another person added.
The Knicks themselves appear to be buying in to the Danhausen phenomenon, with the team selling ‘uncursed’ T-shirts and star player Jalen Brunson, a noted wrestling fan, appearing to copy Danhausen’s signature cursing gesture in Monday’s Conference Championship clincher.
Even Cavaliers fans are blaming the supernatural, as Danhausen also went on live television to curse Cleveland hours before the Eastern Conference Finals. The team would not win another game this postseason.
WWE superstar Danhausen pictured doing his ‘cursed’ gesture in front a crowd of fans
Danhausen posted an image of Knicks star Jalen Brunson, a noted wrestling fan, appearing to mimic the popular cursing gesture during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals
This strange series of events all started in April, when Danhausen appeared on ESPN during the Knicks’ first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
While promoting the wrestling company’s upcoming event, he got into a playful feud with outspoken Knicks fan and ESPN commentator Stephen A Smith, eventually placing his famous curse on both Smith and the Knicks.
New York, who were heavy favorites against the lower seeded Hawks, suddenly lost the next two games in stunning fashion, leading fans to plead with Danhausen to reverse the apparent spell.
A Knicks fan even paid for a Cameo video, a personalized message service that Danhausen and other celebrities participate in, and asked the wrestler to lift the curse on the Knicks.
Danhausen, whose real name is Donovan Danhausen, agreed after receiving what he called ‘human monies’ and placed his curse on the Hawks instead. What happened next has rewritten the NBA record books.
The Knicks would dominate the next three games against the Hawks, scoring a franchise record 140 points in the series-clinching victory. Riding that momentum into the second round of the NBA playoffs, New York quickly swept the Philadelphia 76ers in four straight games.
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers, the Knicks would come back from a 22-point deficit with less than eight minutes left in the game to stun the NBA world.
‘Yo, whatever Danhausen did to the Cavs was absolutely diabolical,’ one fan wrote on social media. ‘If you don’t believe in magic, you’re an idiot, because Danhausen actually did curse the Cavs,’ another believer added.
Pictured: Knicks star player Jalen Brunson (Right) and Cavs point guard James Harden (Left). The Knicks have not lost since Danhausen ‘uncursed’ the team in April
The Knicks invited Danhausen to Madison Square Garden in New York City and partnered with the WWE star to sell ‘uncursed’ merchandise
Knicks fans have been easily convinced something supernatural is behind the team’s historic win streak, as the franchise has been mired in one of sport’s longest title droughts.
New York has not won the NBA championship since 1973, and has seen decades of dysfunction, particularly from the late 1990s through the 2010s.
The franchise has been involved in multiple high-profile scandals, expensive failed signings and repeated coaching and executive firings over the decades.
Owner James Dolan has even been publicly criticized by fans and sports pundits for meddling in basketball operations and his personal feuds with former star players Charles Oakley and Latrell Sprewell.
The atmosphere appeared to change in 2020, however, as new team president Leon Rose has been widely credited with stabilizing the organization, turning them into consistent playoff contenders – but still could not deliver a title.
Now, fans and even sports media have turned their attention to the Danhausen curse as the possible good luck charm New York had been lacking for 53 years.
Pictured: The New York Knicks raise the NBA Eastern Conference Championship for the first time since 1999 on May 25
Supernatural curses are a common theme in sports, with legions of fans blaming bad luck or hexes for long losing streaks.
One famous example is the Curse of the Bambino, which supposedly hit the Boston Red Sox after they sold superstar Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1920. The team went 86 years without winning a World Series.
Meanwhile, the Curse of the Billy Goat was allegedly placed on the Chicago Cubs in 1945 when a tavern owner and his goat were kicked out of Wrigley Field during the World Series.
The team had not won a title since 1908 and that streak continued for more than a century until the ‘curse’ was finally lifted in 2016.
